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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To throw away pink things?

483 replies

JustAnotherBadMother · 24/03/2022 15:14

I have DDs aged 15 mo and 1 mo. I hate pink. I hate the way so much girls stuff is pink. I mostly buy them boys things, although I've no problem with dresses and dolls (which I do buy), providing they are not pink. My SIL is the opposite of me in just about everything. She is very OTT in quantity of presents which I find overbearing, and makes me feel bad, and her tastes are the opposite of mine. She buys masses of stuff for my daughters (which I do not need or want), and the vast majority of it makes me want to vomit. It's almost all really expensive (JoJo, Boden, etc), whereas my stuff is almost all a mixture of freecycle and Primark, partly because of money, but tbh personal taste probably plays a bigger role. My mother recently bought some things for my DDs and they were really heavily biased towards pink. She noted herself regretfully that they were overall a bit pink, and commented on how one dress was largely pink but had other colours, when it was 90% pink. My SIL bought an expensive jacket for DD1 a few weeks ago (JoJo, obvs), and said although it was pink she thought I'd still like it.
I don't know why they do it, because they know I absolutely hate pink stuff and it won't be worn. For more than a year all this pink crap has simply been in the cupboard and literally not worn at all.
Today I was just feeling miserable and put a lot of the pink stuff in a bag (inc the new dress my DM bought a couple of weeks ago) and put it all in a public bin. I felt guilty for a few hours and went out to try and find the bag (just to put in the attic, not use), but the bins had been emptied. I think I'm glad about this, but just can't stop thinking about it and feeling miserable about the whole situation.
Why do my DM and SIL do this? If it really was very very occasional and pink was just one of 100 colours I wouldn't care. But it's not. Almost everything my SIL buys is pink pink pink, and a fair chunk of what my DM buys is pink too. I'm fine with pretty dresses which they like buying, but just draw the line at pink.
(NB I would normally give it to charity - I've got masses off freecycle myself - but I have issues with pink and poorer girls been limited by it. That's why not. Plus I'm cross with my SIL and DM for buying all this pink shit when they knew I hate it and it won't be used, and somehow this seemed more appropriate. If they ever find out there'll be more pissed off, which is what I want bc I'm getting upset about all of this. It feels like they are criticising my values and my abilities as a mother.)

OP posts:
daffodilsbluebells · 24/03/2022 19:31

But removing all pink from your dcs' wardrobes is just a different type of conditioning reacting to perceived social conditioning after all, with added being mean to family.

I get it, the year I mistakenly mused about not wanting dd to have a barbie, I got bought a Barbie by every person in dh's family for her as a christmas present and I let it go, and the barbie phase burned out in two years and left no scars.

ChunkyMonkey2020 · 24/03/2022 19:36

I hate the colour pink. Wouldn't buy my daughter stuff either. However if something was bought for her, I wouldn't get rid of it just because it was pink.

She's 7 now and loves the colour pink. If it isn't pink she won't wear it.

Boxowine · 24/03/2022 19:44

I’m kind of 🙄 at you saying you won’t donate clothes because you don’t want anyone to have pink clothes forced on them. People who shop in charity shops do get to select their own items for themselves. If you don’t care for what you’ve been given, just drop it at a shop and let it find its own way to whomever wants it. Otherwise, I think that you’re internalizing what the clothing “means”. Maybe we would all be better off if we just aim for having children being dressed appropriately for the weather and not reading anything into what the color means.

Bonbon21 · 24/03/2022 19:59

Ask for the receipts and get the items changed for something you like.. every time... tell them why you are doing it... every time. Its wonderful they are so generous but they should appreciate this is YOUR child and respect YOUR choice how she is dressed.

EmeraldShamrock1 · 24/03/2022 20:02

Yabu. Some DM would have made good use of the clothing, throwing it into the bin is a disgusting waste.

Nomoreusernames1244 · 24/03/2022 20:03

The gender divide is natural

Is it? Or is it because the sexes are conditioned to play differently from birth so naturally gravitate to other children who play the same way. That and if the children are colour coded again it makes it easier for them to identify their peer group.

At nursery my dd was the only girl in her cohort of 7 boys. They all played together, and there was very little gendering in their group, they would play in the home corner or with the cars equally.

You cannot say what is nature and what is nurture, it starts too young.

georgarina · 24/03/2022 20:04

Really sad and narrow-minded that you consider anything traditionally feminine as inferior. The idea that a feminine girl can't climb trees or "follow politics" is misogynistic and stupid.

It's always "girly" things that are seen as stupid, pointless, or somehow morally void. Pink clothes, nail polish, dolls, accessories, earrings ... yet no one says anything about blue clothes or trucks or dinosaurs.

Madmaxxy · 24/03/2022 20:04

YABVU for sending perfectly good clothes to landfill.

I've been given lots of clothes that I hate for DD. I just grit my teeth and dress them in it when I'm going to see that person, or send a photo then put the clothes on storage. It's not the end of the world.

Missushbb · 24/03/2022 20:11

@Brefugee

have a box marked "donations" and when they give you pink things put them straight in there. And then take them to the charity shop. That will soon stop them.
what a horrible comment. get a grip.
EmeraldShamrock1 · 24/03/2022 20:11

The gender divide is natural
I believe so.

Is it? Or is it because the sexes are conditioned to play differently from birth so naturally gravitate to other children who play the same way. That and if the children are colour coded again it makes it easier for them to identify their peer group.
The gender divide is obvious throughout the animal kingdom, I don't see how it wouldn't be with humans.
Men and women are definitely different I don't think it is learnt behaviour or nurturing I believe it is nature.

worriedatthistime · 24/03/2022 20:13

@Nomoreusernames1244 but your the one using the colour as only for girls and you can't see that
Plenty of toys come in different colours and no one says you have to buy the pink item, there is always a choice

Breastfeedingworries · 24/03/2022 20:15

It makes me feel physically sick that you threw away good clothes. That’s so entitled and spoilt I can’t believe it Shock

Missushbb · 24/03/2022 20:15

@georgarina

Really sad and narrow-minded that you consider anything traditionally feminine as inferior. The idea that a feminine girl can't climb trees or "follow politics" is misogynistic and stupid.

It's always "girly" things that are seen as stupid, pointless, or somehow morally void. Pink clothes, nail polish, dolls, accessories, earrings ... yet no one says anything about blue clothes or trucks or dinosaurs.

yes totally agree with this. If girls and women like pink, it's because it's a nice colour, not because we are stupid or being forced to like pink. it's like chick lit- insinuating anything a women likes must be inferior
luxxlisbon · 24/03/2022 20:16

Wear jeans and climb trees and follow politics and providing you have XX chromosomes then you are a girl is my mantra!

You are just going way too far in the opposite direction imo. Are you going to refuse to buy pink, or glitter or whatever else you don’t agree with in a year or so when your daughter has an opinion?

You can be strong, smart, feminist etc and still like pink.

Exchange things you hate, sell them, give them away, whatever basically but throwing brand new clothes in the bin is just petty and wasteful.

Missushbb · 24/03/2022 20:17

@Nomoreusernames1244

I've been pondering how to put this but you've hit the nail on the head perfectly succinctly. This is how ingrained misogyny is in society, someone sees something in a colour thats traditionally been attributed to girls and has an irrational dislike of it

I don’t dislike the colour.

I dislike the way it is used to socially condition children into gender roles. You can say we have free will all you like but when children are being told constantly pink is “for girls”, and toys in the shops are colour coded, so they know they should be playing with this, and not playing with that because of its colour. Then the way society treats girls (and boys) from tiny, expecting them to behave in certain ways.

Not to mention the current issues where if a wee boy likes pink and glitter, maybe he has a female brain and is really a girl?

It’s not irrational.

utter mince.
Hell0G00dbye · 24/03/2022 20:20

@georgarina

Really sad and narrow-minded that you consider anything traditionally feminine as inferior. The idea that a feminine girl can't climb trees or "follow politics" is misogynistic and stupid.

It's always "girly" things that are seen as stupid, pointless, or somehow morally void. Pink clothes, nail polish, dolls, accessories, earrings ... yet no one says anything about blue clothes or trucks or dinosaurs.

Exactly this. I HATE the attitude of ‘oh we never put DD in pink or dresses, we only buy gender neutral clothes, we don’t own dolls’. None of these things are inferior. A child choosing to wear a pink frilly dress and play mums is not inferior or something to treat with disdain. Children should be celebrated whatever their preferences. If I bought my daughter a dark blue coat instead of the unicorn pattered one she would be furious. Doesn’t mean she’s a sad meek female who will bow down to gender norms. She just likes unicorns.
SoyaChai · 24/03/2022 20:23

The gender divide is natural

So why don't all women/girls align with or like what is supposed to be "feminine"?

YoComoManzanas · 24/03/2022 20:24

Have you thought about dying the clothes. The pink jacket could have become red or purple? I get the whole pink anathema. It's pushed on womens sports clothes too.

YoComoManzanas · 24/03/2022 20:25

Although similar with boys clothes once past age 4 it's all camo and grungy colours with games consoles on.

steff13 · 24/03/2022 20:27

Your daughters don't have to wear pink if you don't like pink. But your reason for not donating it is stupid.

JustAnotherBadMother · 24/03/2022 20:31

@Hell0G00dbye
I HATE the attitude of ‘oh we never put DD in pink or dresses, we only buy gender neutral clothes, we don’t own dolls’. None of these things are inferior. A child choosing to wear a pink frilly dress and play mums is not inferior or something to treat with disdain
Tbf it's in my OP that I have no issue with dresses or dolls - and the latter is clearly not just for girls. Dolls are really important for emotional development etc. Plus Action Man is patently just a glorified doll. Back to clothes, my DD isn't just in sex neutral clothes - she wears dresses which I have bought (and knitted) and wears colours and patterns that I would not put a boy in. But I also buy her lots of boys stuff with dinosaurs, dragons etc bc I think they are in fact the sex neutral ones. It's pink I object to a) because of the way it's forced down society and is used to restrict how girls play and develop; b) the particular context - the way my DM and SIL just ignore my tastes and beliefs etc. It's the only thing I can't stand - they are free to buy pretty expensive dresses and they will be worn, even though it's not 100% my cup of tea. I just draw the line at pink. And it seems to be all they do.

OP posts:
Kanaloa · 24/03/2022 20:34

@YoComoManzanas

Although similar with boys clothes once past age 4 it's all camo and grungy colours with games consoles on.
This is one of those things I see a lot on mumsnet, there’s only pink for girls and only dark colours for boys, but I’ve really not found that difficulty. Maybe it’s where people are shopping, but I’ve always found it easy to find a variety of colours for my boys and my girls. We shop at H&M, Primark, and DD likes New Look now, and we find it easy to get colourful clothes for all of them.
MalagaNights · 24/03/2022 20:36

You have weird obsessive feelings about a colour.

What if orange was the colour we culturally associated with girls.
Would you hate that?

What you actually seem to hate is femininity.
Which is a real shame as the values of femininity should be cherished & your daughters may want to express femininity in the future.

They don't have to, they might be more masculine in their traits and interests as lots of girls and women are.

But if they are drawn to the feminine what message will your hatred of that give them? That they're wrong and masculine is better?

Pink is just a colour it's what it stands for you hate and what it stands for are traits and interests many people value.

NerrSnerr · 24/03/2022 20:38

I was born in the 80s and my mum hated pink, she'd purposely dress us in darker colours to prove her point. She was also very vocal about the hatred of all things pink which did rub off as I am ashamed to say I looked down on the girls who loved pink too. Once I could buy my own clothes I went through a proper pink phase.

My mum also refused to let us listen to 90s pop music (because 70s music is so much better don't you know) and imposed so many other nonsense rules.

NerrSnerr · 24/03/2022 20:40

YABVU to bin them all! What a waste.

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